Mike Spinelli

Raise your hand if you were concerned Alfa Romeo's return-to-form-hopeful, the 4C coupe, was going to be a bit of a disappointment. No? You're more of an optimist than I. Turns out, I shant have worried so.

This week, on a very special /CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS, Chris drives the new 4C at its launch fête, held at Alfa's Balocco test circuit in northern Italy.

Granted, the 4C does only come in six-speed dual-clutch manumatic, and only the front end gets a multilink suspension. But most of its compromises seem to have been made with weight savings in mind, and Chris says it's almost more Elise than Cayman in that regard. And oh, unassisted steering? My heavens.

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But did Chris like it? Well, as he says, it's no Porsche Cayman. But how does he mean that, exactly? And what's with that steering wheel.